Before 2015 ends, a post is needed - perhaps to try to come back to normal?
What is 'normal'?
A rollercoaster year sees its end and I just hope that 2016 will continue in the way as 2015 ends, on a high.
The blog silence would have been shorter but the poor laptop had a suddendeath provoked by a splash of water. At least, the new PC is 'normal'.
The picture in the header is taken out of a window in Dunster Castle - in the very West of Somerset and it is symbolic for me: England forever.
This year's rocking events have shown us the very direction: it is time to move.
I have lived in Belgium for 36 years now. It was my free choice to come here and it was my free choice to stay. When homesickness tried to knock me down, I always told myself that I am at home as wherever I go to, I take myself with me. (I adopted this quote from Karl Lagerfeld)
There were many times when I was ready to move on and every time a special circumstance made me stay. I created the saying: Belgian soil sticks (like sh...).
If I took the time to go through my thousands of photographs, I would be able to tell how many times I have been to the UK over this last year. Every time a special highlight, every time made me nearly cry when I had to go back again.
My very first call for Great-Britain started when I visited my penpal, 12 years old, and we spent some precious summer days in rainy and cold Wales. I felt so good then and there! My next very strong call was when the plane took off from Manchester airport in 1996 -it took me back to Belgium but my heart stayed in the UK. And soon after this strong feeling of 'déjà vu' I fell in love with EG and found out that Great-Britain is my vocation.
The next year will show what is possible. I might blog about it.
To end the year, here are some more pictures from our visit at Dunster Castle. I loved every bit of it. It was a dull day in end of October and the gardens were not so inviting.But the castle was.
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| The historic horse stables |
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| The lover's bridge |
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| the Bristol Channel in the distance |
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| inside the castle |
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| there is such a 'young feeling' to this room |
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| the door knocker |
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| people could dress up here |
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| stunning wall tapestry |
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this room felt so comfortable
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| where all important papers were kept |
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| the telephone on the desk was ringing ;-) |
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| I could smell the gunpowder whilst it was behind glass ;-) |
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| initally, this was the grand kitchen but had been transformed into the poolroom |
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| through the conservatory to reach the library |
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| loved the door stopper |
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| in their own mill organic flour is ground |
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| alongside the pathway, the water flows like in an elevated rill |
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| Dunster village is equally cute than the castle |
This last picture is my personal outlook for 2016. Forever England!
To all dear readers, have a nice and peaceful Christmas and may 2016 be kind to you!
With my best wishes,
Anke
Oh do come back to the West Country!
RépondreSupprimerThank you, Barbara. It is well in my wishlist :-).
SupprimerDear Bayou, I loved seeing this post, with its many photographs of a part of the world that I also think very appealing.
RépondreSupprimerBest wishes to you and yours for a Happy Christmas...and many wonderful days in the New Year, too. xo
Dear Frances, yes, I know you are likeminded. I wish you a very nice festive season and all the very best for the New Year, may all your wishes come true! Will we eventually meet in 2016?
SupprimerI am tardy in giving you my best wishes for 2016 – but I spent almost 3 weeks in bed with a nasty bronchitis, over the holidays. I also am an anglophile. I went to England when I was 13 ½ years old for Christmas and I’ll never forget it – then I kept going every Christmas until I came to the US. I don’t think I could have adapted to the US so easily if it had not been for England. The pictures of the castle are splendid – what a great place. Your last photo of course is also beautiful – but I don’t think people expect palm trees in England. Have a great 2016 and I hope it will be what you wish it to be.
RépondreSupprimerDear Vagabonde, thank you for your kind wishes. Me too, I wish you a happy new year with good health for you and all your family. I hope you are now fully recovering from that bronchitis, often those things stick way too long with us. I did not know about your love for England and that you too, went there as a teenager with everlasting fond memories. There are so many things the French and the British have in common - even if they don't admit it ;-).
SupprimerDearest Bayou,
RépondreSupprimerThank you for your visit and lovely comment, it's a pleasure to know we share a kinship for gardening and architecture and love of country.
I was thankful to spend the entire month of October back in my beloved homeland, it stirred all kinds of lost feelings and appreciation for special places and much-loved people.
I hope to visit back and forth often, wishing you and your English gardener a Happy and Healthy New Tear !
~Jo
Hello Jo and welcome! Reading that you have spent an entire month in your homecounty makes me goosepimply. I have also the impression that there are some more things we have in common like the love for horses, swimming and long hair ;-)
RépondreSupprimer